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Niners safety Donte Whitner said he won’t be fined for his unnecessary roughness penalty on the first play of Sunday’s 27-7 loss to the Colts.

Whitner was flagged for hitting with the crown of his helmet when he drilled running back Ahmad Bradshaw on a three-yard reception. However, replays showed Whitner hit Bradshaw with his shoulder. Whitner said the NFL told the team this week that it was an incorrect call.

“They called and our coaching staff talked to the league and they said it wasn’t a penalty and I wouldn’t be fined,” Whitner said. “Especially seeing what Dashon’s going through, I was relived.”

Whitner was referring to Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson, his former teammate with the 49ers. Goldson had a one-game suspension overturned last week, but was fined $100,000 for an illegal hit on Saints running back Darren Sproles in Week 2. Goldson was levied a hefty fine because he’s a repeated violator of the NFL’s safety rules.

After Sunday’s game, Whitner said his shot on Bradshaw was legal.

“I guess it was a big hit,” he said. “Any big hit now in the National Football League is automatically a flag.”